India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has criticised the “hurtful” decision to fine Ravindra Jadeja, saying the all-rounder had been the innocent party in an incident involving England’s James Anderson.

Dhoni said Jadeja had been on the receiving end of “foul langauge” and physical assault and, although the India skipper did not name Anderson on Saturday, it was clear he was referring to the England paceman during a news conference in Southampton ahead of Sunday’s third Test match.

Jadeja was fined 50 per cent of his match fee, but not banned, by the International Cricket Council after being found guilty Friday of “conduct contrary to the spirit of the game”, for an incident with Anderson that took place when walking off as a batsman during the lunch break on the second day of the drawn first Test in Nottingham on July 10.

“”I don’t want to take any individual’s name, but one used foul language against Jadeja,” Dhni said.

“I had to step in the middle. By that time, we had reached the ropes, and I thought the thing was defused.

“Then, when we were going through the members’ area, I was ahead of Jadeja, who was a couple of yards behind me.

“Again, something happened. Something was told to him and he turned across to the individual.

“After that, he was pushed and he barely gained his balance. Then, he turned to see what was happening.

“The bat was under his armpit throughout, and right from the call for lunch till the time he entered the dressing room, not one word was spoken by him (Jadeja).”

England charged Jadeja with a Level Two offence under the ICC’s code of conduct in retaliation for India bringing a more serious Level Three charge against Anderson for allegedly “abusing and pushing” Jadeja.

However, ICC match referee David Boon downgraded the offence to Level One, something that cannot be appealed.

India lead the five-match series with England 1-0 after a 95-run win in the second Test at Lord’s on Monday — a match that ended with Jadeja running out Anderson, after which the two players were photographed shaking hands.

Anderson’s case will be dealt with by ICC code of conduct commissioner Gordon Lewis on August 1 — the day after the third Test is due to end.

A Level Three offence carried a ban of between two to four Tests however, Lewis, like Boon, can downgrade the charge.